The Importance of Emotional Intelligence

Through the mid-20th century, expressing emotions in the workplace was discouraged. Emotions were thought to be chaotic and unnecessary, incompatible with the rational thought that kept businesses running on track, according to Villanova University project management lecturer Melody Templeton.

This began to change by the 1990s, Templeton said, particularly after the 1995 publication of “Emotional Intelligence: Why it Can Matter More Than IQ,” a book by psychologist and science journalist Daniel Goleman.

Goleman’s work, as well as that of other researchers such as John D. Mayer and Peter Salovey, established emotional intelligence, also known as EQ, as a hot topic for business, according to Villanova’s Mastering Project Management course, the second required course in the Certificate in Applied Project Management program.

“Now, we understand that all decisions are made on an emotional basis. Emotions are understood to be what goes behind good decisions. It’s the fuel,” Templeton said.

Emotions also affect work at the organizational, team and personal level. “It’s necessary for job satisfaction to be able to express, understand and share emotions appropriately,” said Templeton.

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Goleman defined emotional intelligence as “the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves and others, for managing emotions well in ourselves and in others.”

Mayer and Salovey similarly defined EQ as the “ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and action.”

Referencing both definitions, Templeton added that emotional intelligence is simply “choosing the right response at the right time.”

Since the mid-2000s, Templeton said, emotional intelligence has been one of the hottest topics for project management seminars. Its popularity with the business community has remained steady in the time since. A June 2019 article by Forbes titled, “The Value of Emotional Intelligence,” discusses how technical skills and IQ are no longer sufficient on their own to make someone a successful leader. The article identifies leaders with high emotional intelligence as being able to leverage their strengths to increase employee engagement, retention and performance.

Likewise, an April 2019 article by the Harvard Business School Online titled, “Why Emotional Intelligence is Important in Leadership” says emotional intelligence “accounts for nearly 90% of what sets high performers apart from peers with similar technical skills and knowledge.”

The article also discusses the four core competencies of emotional intelligence:

• Self-awareness – Villanova’s Maximizing Team Effectiveness course defines self-awareness as being aware of your emotions and being able to accurately self-assess, especially when things are not going well.
• Self-management – Practicing self-control and managing emotions amid stressful situations.
• Social awareness – The ability to understand your emotions and recognize the emotions of others. Successful social awareness leaders practice empathy and work to understand others’ perspectives.
• Relationship management – The ability to influence and develop others and manage conflict effectively.

Emotional Intelligence and Leadership

Cognitive skills are necessary to succeed at nearly any profession. However, Goleman shows that team members with the highest emotional intelligence will be the ones who emerge as star performers, said HR consultant Patricia A. Sullivan in Villanova’s Mastering Organizational Effectiveness course, the second required course in the Certificate in Human Resource Management program.  

For HR leaders especially, Sullivan said, emotional intelligence is about managing one’s own feelings, as well as the feelings of others, and understanding how to manage people and get them to work together.

“The goal for a team leader at all levels is to sway the actions of many to act in a way that meets the organization’s or team’s objectives,” Sullivan said.

The Mastering Organizational Effectiveness course cited management researcher Jim Collins, who described the best leaders, what he referred to as “Level 5 Leaders,” as blending “extreme personal humility with intense professional will.” According to the research, the leader’s ambition is for the organization, not the individual.

Level 5 leaders work to develop members of their team into the organization’s future leaders. Other characteristics of leaders with high emotional intelligence include:

• Communication
• Influence
• Conflict management
• Visionary leadership
• Change catalyst
• Building Bonds
• Teamwork and collaboration

According to Templeton, unlike a person’s IQ or personality, both of which show little change in adulthood, emotional intelligence remains fluid.

It’s not just a matter of leaders managing their own emotions, she said, but of leaders being able to use their emotions to better interact and communicate with their team.

“Success in life comes from the ability to get along with others.”

EQ Impact

Whether leading a project team or managing people in the human resources role, emotional intelligence is an essential skill of an effective leader. Emotional intelligence recognizes that emotions are part of work. The emotionally intelligent leader finds ways to channel their own emotions, as well as those of their team, into a successful plan of action that results in satisfied workers and the completion of business goals.